AIBU to warn you re piles?

[Glitteryone]

Okay I can’t believe I’m writing this (thank god this forum is anonymous) but I think it needs to be said as a warning to others.

For approximately 4 years I have been tortured with an itchy bottom. I mean it would itch so bad that I was regularly in tears! It was like a gnawing, burning itching that I can’t even really describe.

Recently the itch moved into my vagina and my god, it was HELL on a daily basis when they both started! I’d spend my days and nights violently scratching both (gross I know, but my hands were always covered and I scrubbed them with antibacterial handwash after everytime).

My doctor told me it was piles and I done the usual - anusol, preparation h, etc however nothing gave me relief at all.

A few days ago my 7 year old started complaining of a sore itchy bum and we had 2 nights with barely any sleep because of it. On the third night she said it was her ‘front bum’ now too, so I asked to have a look and to my horror there was a threadworm on her 🤢😭

Basically what this tells me is that I have had these disgusting things for years and I have infected my poor daughter!

The whole house has been dosed with Vorex and everywhere bleached to within an inch of its life!

I have spent the last few days in between cleaning and wanting to cry, googling threadworms and it seems that they can be transmitted to others extremely easily and also a lot of people don’t realise they have them.

I think more awareness needs to be made of these. Schools are very good at sending home information about nits, I can’t understand why more information isn’t available on worms (I knew nothing about them until this).

Itchy bottoms are so common amongst adults and kids alike and I think when it’s adults it’s easily wrote off as piles and with kids we usually just put it down to them not cleaning themselves properly!

AIBU to warn mumsnet of these disgusting parasites?

Hope you are clear of these now. i had them twice when i was a child they were awfully itchy mum put me in pjs so i couldnt scratch myself to shreds but they were awful. the one lot i was told probably got from a toilet seat after an infected person used it dont know if that is right but there was a girl at school who had them and the parents didnt get them treated

I'd be the complete opposite, I'd never have thought piles and would immediately think worms

My DD has had worms in the past. I regularly check her stool and my own (weird, I know) and she knows to tell me when she is itchy.

Check your stool, people!! The colour (and what's in it) can tell us about our health.

Just to add they are easily spread hand-to-hand then hand-to-mouth. Washing hands is crucial as is avoiding picking at foods with unclean fingers (kids, obviously, share bags of crisps etc..)

I remember having threadworms as a teenager. I was so embarrassed however it means that whenever I have issues as an adult I know to check.

My first thought if I had itchiness would be worms. Piles would be at down the list.

How are they treated? Just out of interest

I would have also thought worms too OP, especially with kids.

God this is my worst nightmare OP poor you. I do always check my poo though mainly because I'm so proud of the torpedos I create so I'll continue to do that

I thought everyone knew about threadworms!

I would never have thought piles.

When I lived with my housemate and had a lot of pets and her relatives visiting (with young children), I would dose her and I once every 6 months + the dog and wash the towels and sheets in hot water. This was usually after a lot of people visiting.

Apparently you don’t need to dose regularly, but given the pets and the many many visitors staying and using the bathroom - then it was absolutely necessary.

Also, check your poops people! If you’re infected you can see worms in there.

jesus that is horrifying.

didn't the doc do a visual?

@CAG12 single dose tablet usually does the trick. But need to be vigilant and scrupulous about clean hands and finger nails, and bedding etc on a hot wash.

is the treatment OTC? wouldn't mind having some in stock as if i ever found a worm i wouldn't want to be driving to a pharmacy i'd want to be burning the house down.

Seriously works are just part of having kids and easy toget rid off. I doubt yo would have had them for 4 yeas with out noticing so I wouldn't assume your issues are due to the worms particularly if it is effecting you vulva as well as your anus. (To be blunt.)

Your doctor doesn't sound very good, I thought the go to reason for an itchy bum was always threadworms.

In RL people go to the pharmacists and get a cure, on MN people seem to over-react and go crazy cleaning their homes. If they were that easy to catch surely everyone would have them permanently.

@CAG12

How are they treated? Just out of interest

Combantrim - from the chemist. You buy it over the counter. You can also get it in chocolate form.

The pharmacist asks how many in the family and sells you enough to dose everyone.

I used to count the pets in a head count of the family so I would have some left over for next time. I didn’t want a long explanation that I don’t trust visitors.

My housemate suggested it the very first time - I think she had worms. There was no awkward chat & after that I just kept buying it.

Growing up if one person in the house had worms (or was even suspected of having worms), the whole house received a worming tablet and everything was washed.

I never knew about thread worms until I joined Mumsnet - we never had them when I was a child and none of my friends did, or they didn’t talk about it!

However, I had read about them on here and knew what to look out for when my youngest woke up with a really itchy bottom. Treated the whole family and they’ve never come back

I wouldn't be so sure about this if I were you. Your daughter prob picked up threadworms from school, most kids do at some point. If you'd had them for years, you'd have spotted them in your poo and the whole household would have been infected ages ago.

Ps, you don't catch threadworms from pets...

Sounds awful OP, hope you’re all okay now.

I’d actually rather have worms than piles though.... had them on and off for many years.... pain in the arse quite literally! Have had fissures too and they make you cry!

The NHS website says you can catch worms from pets but it is rare, so probably not something you should be worrying about.

Worms are a billion times better than piles.
All sorted with a tablet. Piles, not so much

One trick that helps in to get her wear pants in bed that she takes off in the morning for the next couple of weeks. It helps reduce the spread of any eggs laid at night.

Aw bless you. Sounds horrible. I hope you are free of them now and feel a lot better. I wonder if you have come into contact with them through a pet or a friend's pet, I remember when my son was little he and a friend caught them from friend's dog. Very itchy but not difficult to get rid of.

It must be quite a relief to know what caused your symptoms and to know how to be free of them. You'll be fine now.